The Truth Exposed
is the eighteenth episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It features the debut of the Gashat Gear Dual β and the Fantasy Gamer. It also reveals the truth behind Emu Hojo's game illness to Emu himself. Synopsis "Hiiro, are you hiding something from me?" Emu calls out Hiiro on the roof of the hospital. In the last battle, Genm tells Emu that he saved the Bugster because his body told him to do so. Emu also suffers from serious headaches after every transformation since creating the Mighty Brothers XX Rider Gashat. And most of all, Emu is incompatible with the surgery and yet he can still transform into a Kamen Rider. Everything is starting to come together, so what will Hiiro's response be? Meanwhile, Kuroto Dan returns to Genm Corp., and using the Gashacon Bugvisor, he begins to spread the Bugster Virus... Plot Emu has called Asuna and Hiiro to the roof of the Seito University Hospital, remembering Genm's suggesting that his body made him defend the last Bugster and accusing them of hiding something from him. Elsewhere, Tsukuru Koboshi is pondering the future of Genm Corp. and Burgermon's final words; however, Kuroto arrives, infecting Tsukuru with the Bugster virus using the Gashacon Bugvisor, saying he could never make a best-selling game. Emu questions about the compatibility surgery and his making the Mighty Brothers XX Gashat, but Hiiro only tells him to hand over his Gashats so that he can transform; a game illness call stops the conversation, Emu and Asuna racing off. They find Tsukuru and Kuroto as Taiga and Nico arrive, Kuroto saying he infected Tsukruru to use as bait for the Riders before transforming into Genm Zombie Gamer Level X. Taiga and Emu transform into Snipe Hunter Shooting Gamer Level 5 Full Dragon and Ex-Aid Double Action Gamer Level XX, tripling up on Genm and knocking him down, but Genm stops fighting to tell Tsukuru that he'd never make a good game, making his Bugster infection break out into Motors Level 5. Motors speeds away on his Motors Viper, Ex-Aid reverting to Double Action Gamer Level X and nabbing a Speeding-Up Energy Item to give chase, but the Bugster's Level Up has made him too fast to catch, and Ex-Aid is left in the dust. Snipe hits Genm with a Drago Knight Critical Strike, but his zombie immortality restores him before he even hits the ground; in response, he slices Snipe with a Sickle Mode Giri Giri Critical Finish, knocking him out of his transformation. Genm takes Taiga's three Gashats, saying he can easily make a new Gashat to defeat Ex-Aid, too, leaving before Ex-Aid returns. Emu untransforms, but immediately collapses with a headache. As Tsukuru is diagnosed at CR, he explains that Genm Corp. has a new CEO to replace Kuroto, and that the employees were split into teams to develop the best game to hopefully save the company. Though unsure, Tsukuru had vowed to help his team as best he could, and Emu says he's looking forward to Tsukuru's new game. Up in the conference room, Taiga calls in and speaks with Hiiro and Poppy, telling them not to let Emu meet Genm, as Kuroto is working on a new Gashat, and that Emu's body can't handle transforming anymore. Nico jumps in and steals Taiga's line of wanting to take Emu's Gashats as the call cuts off. Picking up on their vague wording, Poppy realizes that Emu has the game illness, but Hiiro convinces her to keep it quiet: telling Emu would probably destroy his pride as a doctor and cause the infection to erase him; Hiiro needs Gashats to save Emu. At their hideout, Kuroto upgrades and transfers Bang Bang Shooting's data into the blank double Gashat, completing it into the Gashat Gear Dual β. He also explains Kamen Rider Chronicle, a game that will turn the world into a battlefield of citizens becoming Kamen Riders and fighting for survival. Parado tries to remind him that Emu is his to defeat, but Kuroto rants on his role as the Game Master, that only he can create Gashats and how all Bugsters are only his pawns; he designs game characters from nothing, making him God. Parado only watches in silence. At Genm Corp., Motors is on a rampage to stress Tsukuru by attacking his coworkers. Emu goes to help; Hiiro tries to stop him and do it himself, but Emu isn't about to let a doctor who doesn't care about his patients' happiness be the one to save Tsukuru, racing off. He arrives as Ex-Aid Sports Action Gamer Level 3 to protect two employees from Motors outside the building, but Kuroto arrives and sidelines Motors, his job as bait being over. Ex-Aid Stage Selects to a quarry, where Kuroto takes out the Level 50 Gashat Gear Dual β, triggering Taddle Fantasy, a game where you play as the villain to defeat the hero, and summoning the Fantasy Gamer. Ex-Aid takes his Level X form, but Kuroto orders the Fantasy Gamer to attack, and it knocks Ex-Aid out of his transformation in only one hit. Motors, meanwhile, is irked at only being bait, but Kuroto transforms into Genm Zombie Gamer, saying Motors is no longer useful; he destroys Motors with a Critical End, curing Tsukuru, and absorbs his debris with the Bugvisor as Parado watches from the sidelines. Genm reiterates that Riders and Bugsters are both his pawns, threatening Emu with the Gashacon Sparrow to hand over his Gashats; Emu refuses, but Genm is suddenly knocked aside by Para-DX Fighter Gamer Level 50. Parado is fed up with Genm treating Bugsters as nothing; Genm reminds Para-DX of when he himself defeated Revol, but Para-DX says that was per the game's rules of fighting to a victor, which is the Bugsters' way. Para-DX unleashes a full force rapid barrage of punches against Genm, but he is again without damage. Para-DX switches to Puzzle Gamer Level 50, using three Muscular Energy Items to bulk up for a Perfect Critical Combo, finally knocking Kuroto out of his transformation. However, Kuroto has one last card to play to shatter Parado's dream of defeating Emu for defying the Game Master. He turns to Emu, bringing up his transforming without a surgery, creating a new Gashat, and having headaches. Hiiro, Taiga, and Parado race forward to stop him. Kuroto finally reveals to Emu that he was the first Bugster virus patient in the world. Only Parado keeps running, lifting Kuroto by his collar. Emu tries to dismiss the claim, but remembers his headaches as the infection flares. His eyes glow red as his body starts glitching into digitization, a massive yellow beam consisting of Bugster viruses shooting up from him as his face starts cracking. Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : Guest Cast * : *Genm Corp. employees: , Suit Actors *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level X: *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 3, Level XX R: *Kamen Rider Snipe Level 1: *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level XX L: *Kamen Rider Genm Level X: *Kamen Rider Snipe Level 5, Kamen Rider Para-DX: *Motors Bugster: Rider Gashat *'Gashat Used:' **Ex-Aid ***Mighty Brothers XX, Mighty Action X, Shakariki Sports **Snipe ***Bang Bang Shooting, Drago Knight Hunter Z **Genm ***Buggle Driver ****Dangerous Zombie ***Giri Giri Chambara (in Gashacon Sparrow), Gashat Gear Dual β (Taddle Fantasy (used to summon Fantasy Gamer)) **Para-DX ***Gashat Gear Dual ****Knockout Fighter, Perfect Puzzle *'Level Used:' **Ex-Aid ***Double Action Gamer Level X, Double Action Gamer Level XX, Sports Action Gamer Level 3 **Snipe ***Shooting Gamer Level 1, Hunter Shooting Gamer Level 5 (Full Dragon) **Genm ***Zombie Gamer Level X **Para-DX ***Fighter Gamer Level 50, Puzzle Gamer Level 50 Energy Items *'Energy Items Used:' **Ex-Aid ***Speeding-Up **Para-DX ***Muscular (x3) **Unused ***Iron-Body, Instigate, High-Jump, Shrink, Stretch, Invisible, Confusion, Recover, Giant, Emission, Liquefaction, Separation, Dark Errors *''to be added'' Notes *As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 1, . *'Viewership': 4.1% *'Closing Screen': **Text Color: Pink *'Count at episode end' **'Gashats in Ex-Aid's possession': Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots, Shakariki Sports, Bakusou Bike, Mighty Brothers XX **'Gashats in Brave's possession': None **'Gashats in Snipe's possession': None **'Gashats in Genm's possession': Proto Mighty Action X, Proto Taddle Quest, Proto Bang Bang Shooting, Proto Bakusou Bike, Proto Gekitotsu Robots, Proto DoReMiFa Beat, Proto Giri Giri Chambara, Proto Jet Combat, Proto Shakariki Sports, Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z, Dangerous Zombie, Giri Giri Chambara, Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat, Ju Ju Burger, Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat, Drago Knight Hunter Z, Gashat Gear Dual β **'Gashats in Para-Dx's possession': Gashat Gear Dual *'Video Game References in this episode:' **The Fantasy Gamer being able to knock Ex-Aid out of his transformation in one shot is a reference to one-hit KO attacks that once landed, the opponent loses all their hit points. *This is the first time Ex-Aid doesn't assume Action Gamer Level 2 onscreen. *This is the first time Parado transforms directly into Para-DX Fighter Gamer Level 50 (though he may still have taken Puzzle Gamer first, just offscreen). *This is the first time since episode 2 that Ex-Aid uses the Speeding-Up Energy Item. **It is also the first time Ex-Aid uses an Energy Item as Double Action Gamer Level X. *This is the first time Ex-Aid does a Stage Select in Sports Action Gamer Level 3. *This is the first time a Rider (Parado) uses multiple (three) of the same Energy Item (Muscular) at once. *Ex-Aid is shown to be able to change from Double Action Gamer Level XX to Level X by closing and reopening the Gamer Driver's cover. In the toyline, it's impossible to change the Mighty Brothers XX Gashat's announcements from those of Level XX to Level X this way while it's in the DX Gamer Driver, as closing and reopening the cover will only trigger Mighty Double Critical Strike indefinitely. The same thing happens in episode 23. *This episode is yet another reference to Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider with Kuroto stating that Emu is Patient Zero for the Bugster Virus, revealing that he had Game Disease all along. *The scene when the Bugster in Emu fully awakens resembles the regeneration scenes from the current Doctor Who series. *The last scene where Kuroto exposes the truth to Emu has become a meme, and even the Premium Bandai limited Gashacon Bugvisor II (New Kuroto Dan Ver.) includes his dialogue taken directly from the scene, complete with the theme song beginning to play in the background. **This scene eventually makes a different result when searching instead of , which first one is the scream of Kuroto pointing Emu. *Final appearance of Ex-Aid Sports Action Gamer Level 3 and Snipe Hunter Shooting Gamer Level 5 (Full Dragon). DVD/Blu-ray releases *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 5 features episodes 17-20: A Nonstandard BURGSTER?, The Truth Exposed, A Sudden Fantasy!? and Take Off Against the Direction of the Wind!. *Blu-ray Collection 2 comes with 12 episodes. Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Vol 5.jpg|''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' Volume 5, DVD 918QGbPrsUL. SL1476 .jpg|''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' Collection 2, Blu-ray External links *TV Asahi's official episode guide for 暴かれしtruth *Toei TV's official episode guide for 暴かれしtruth References